Is ThoughtOffice completely compatible with Mac OS X Lion? How about Windows Vista, or Windows 7? I’m thinking of upgrading my computer but I want to be sure that ThoughtOffice will still work properly.

Yes, absolutely. Our development team creates the program code as Universal Binary for the latest OS X version. We’re compatible with OS X 10.7.1 in our most recent build (which automatically updates on your Mac when you launch ThoughtOffice).

The same is true for Windows. ThoughtOffice is perfectly compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Not seeing your question answered in the FAQ? Please contact us any time with your questions. We’re always delighted to help!

What are the terms of the ThoughtOffice license agreement? Can I install ThoughtOffice on more than one computer, like both my work computer and my laptop?

Yes, you are absolutely allowed (and encouraged) to use ThoughtOffice on up to three machines, per our license agreement. Very often, users install ThoughtOffice on their home PC, their laptop, and their work computer. That’s what we expected, and that’s why we wrote the license that way! We know that creativity doesn’t keep traditional business hours, and it’s important to have access to your tools at all times.

I am using a Mac and successfully downloaded ThoughtOffice, but I’m having trouble getting it to run. What’s going on?

ThoughtOffice MUST be installed in the Applications folder of your Mac’s hard drive in order to operate. If you accidentally installed the application in another folder (i.e. Documents), simply move it to the Applications folder.

If you’re having trouble getting ThoughtOffice installed on your Mac, here are some detailed steps to follow:

Create a folder (call it ThoughtOffice).

Drop the ThoughtOffice app and all the files and folder from the DMG file, into the new ThoughtOffice folder you
created in the step above.

Drop that new ThoughtOffice folder into the Applications folder.

Drag the main ThoughtOffice app out to your Dock for easy launching.

The IdeaBrowser Tabs are in a Tabs folder next to the Modules folder in the ThoughtOffice folder. Without the Tabs folder in the right hierarchy, the program won’t work properly.

So, I’ve just installed ThoughtOffice, and I’m getting an error when I run the program. It says “Cannot locate support file: PLUGIN VeerPhotos 0.9.24 VeerPhotos IdeaTabs Do you wish to download a new copy?” I’ve clicked “OK” but the alert still comes up when I restart the program. How do I fix this?

What’s happening is that the program is unable to contact our update servers and download the new files it needs. Here’s what to do:

First, make sure that ThoughtOffice is installed properly on your computer. Visit our How To Install ThoughtOffice page for instructions and screenshots. The most important thing – be sure the program is installed in the correct folder on your hard drive.

Once you’ve verified that the program is correctly installed, make sure that the file named “AltSplash.txt” is in the ThoughtOffice folder on your hard drive.

If you need to get a copy of “AltSplash.txt”, click here to download a ZIP archive of the file. Unzip the archive, place “AltSplash.txt” in the root ThoughtOffice folder, per the screenshot, and the program should now be ready to update itself automatically.

Sometimes, the Topics Browser doesn’t seem to work correctly after installing ThoughtOffice. Here are some tips with regard to launching & using the Topics Browser:

First, we recommend you install ThoughtOffice in the default folder. Installing to a different folder may cause performance problems, and issues with the Topics Browser. Check the file structure of your installation using Windows Explorer. The installation folder and sub-folder should look something like this:

Next, make sure that the Topics Browser is not actually opening behind the Session window. Move the session window around on the screen, to be sure the Topics Browser isn’t playing peek-a-boo with you.

Are you running Windows 2K / XP / Vista? Try uninstalling the demo, rebooting, and reinstalling the demo. Be sure you download ThoughtOffice from this web page. It may also be helpful to temporarily turn off your firewall and anti-virus / anti-spyware software while installing ThoughtOffice. Then reboot your computer, to restart the firewall & A/V software.

Launching the Topics Browser:

A single click on the Topics button will open the Topics Browser in another window. Double clicking may cause the Topics Browser to open and close again quite quickly. The Topics Browser should look like this:

Next, click on the “Topics” pulldown at the top of the dialog box. You should see “Quickstart” as an option. Select it, and it should load, and you should see a screen similar to the image above.

If you are still having issues with ThoughtOffice, feel free to contact us any time.

When I launch the Topics Browser, how come it takes a few moments before the pulldown menu shows up with my list of modules?

No worries! The Topics Browser is not broken, but is actually verifying the contents of each module. Once this process is complete, the pulldown menu will appear as a list containing all of the modules you have imported into ThoughtOffice. Look for the Module Name indicator at the bottom of the Topics Browser. It shows each module in your list as it is loading.

I use an old version of IdeaFisher, eXpertSystem, or another brainstorming product like MindJet. Can I get a discount on an upgrade to ThoughtOffice?

Absolutely! We would be delighted to offer you a significant discount on ThoughtOffice, for both Mac OS-X and Windows. As a user of earlier products such as IdeaFisher, we’re sure you’ll be very pleased with ThoughtOffice, which has been referred to as “IdeaFisher on steroids“.

Simply contact ThoughtOffice Support, and we’ll respond immediately with an “e-coupon” you can use at our online store. Just let us know which product you are currently using, when you bought it, and any other information you think may help.

I want to use ThoughtOffice in an academic setting, at a school or university. Can I get an academic discount on ThoughtOffice?

Of course! We are strongly committed to supporting ThoughtOffice in schools and colleges. We feel that teaching people how to create new ideas, to innovate and brainstorm new ways of solving today’s challenges, is of the highest importance in today’s world.

Just contact ThoughtOffice Support, and we’ll get back to you immediately with an “e-coupon” you can use at our online store, or to make any necessary arrangements.

For even more information about the ThoughtOffice software, please take a few minutes to view the short video clips on this page. They will give you a quick overview of how ThoughtOffice jump-starts your creative process. We have more videos on the way – they’ll keep coming until we run out of ideas. And since we’re using ThoughtOffice to create new ideas, well… let’s just say we’ll be making new videos for a long time.

If the resources listed above are still not answering your questions, by all means, contact us immediately. We are here to help, and no question or problem is too small.

How can I resell ThoughtOffice software on my blog or web site, and earn a commission for each sale?

ThoughtOffice has a strong affiliate program already in place, and you can easily add your web site to our growing network of resellers. We can set you up with an affiliate link which you can place on your web site or blog, and that link will direct traffic to our online store, earning you a commission on each sale your site generates. We can provide banners and images for you to use on your site, and will even create a custom banner for you, if desired.

How do people typically use ThoughtOffice with Mind Mapping software? What’s the relationship between brainstorming and mind mapping?

We like to think of ThoughtOffice as the intelligence within Mind Maps – generating the “food” or “idea particles” for those Mind Maps. Currently, ThoughtOffice is used by creative professionals to generate ideas for use in their Mind Maps, which they then must copy & paste into their Mind Map application of choice.

We plan to announce two new products soon, targeted at Mind Map users. The first new product will interface directly with ThoughtOffice, and will create Mind Maps, printed reports, timelines / Gantt charts, and more. The second is an API that will allow a direct connection between ThoughtOffice and MindManager, a popular mind mapping tool. We’ll have more public information available as the release date approaches.

How can I create specialized or personalized Topic Modules for use with ThoughtOffice?

We are currently developing several new modules, but if you have a specific request or need, we can create modules especially for your application. (Simply contact us for a quote.) As input, we can accept a Word format document that is organized as an outline or list of questions / process steps with no more than 3 sub-levels of indent. Like this:
If you want to include images in your custom Topic Module, gather your images together, resize them to no more than 300 x 200 pixels, and ZIP them into a ZIP archive containing all the images for your project. You can then either put text tags in your Word document to tell us which image goes with which question, or you can give the images names such as “image for question 1.jpeg” or “img_q1a.jpg”. This will help us to associate the images with the questions.

If you decide to release the resulting eXpertTopic Module for sale, we can market the module, and arrange an agreement with you for a percentage of the proceeds. Again, please contact us if you require more information. We plan to release an eXpertTopic development tool later this year, but it is currently in “beta” status, and available only for use by our development team. As soon as it’s ready for “prime time”, we’ll announce it on our web site.

What are the minimum system requirements (RAM, hard drive space, etc.) to run ThoughtOffice on my Mac or PC?

Most computers being sold these days will easily run ThoughtOffice. They’ve got plenty of RAM, hard drive space, and processor horsepower. An Internet connection is essential. Broadband (cable, DSL) is preferred; you can get along with dial-up access, but it’s a bit slow. If you are running an older machine, which might be getting a bit cramped, here are the specifications:

Mac:

OS: 10.3 to 10.5.3

RAM: 24 MB minimum

HDD: 10 MB free space

Processor: G4, G5, Intel

Windows:

OS: Windows 2000, NT, XP, Vista, 7

RAM: 24 MB minimum

HDD: 10 MB free space

Processor: Any AMD or Intel processor that supports the versions of Windows listed above

If you have any concerns about the specs, please feel free to contact us to verify that your system will run ThoughtOffice. Please describe your computer’s configuration in as much detail as possible. That will help us to confirm that it has the “oomph” to do the job!

Do I really need an Internet connection to run ThoughtOffice? I used to use IdeaFisher, and it didn’t need to connect to the Net.

An Internet connection is essential to get the most out of ThoughtOffice. We “plug in” to online databases and resources that are just huge, and are also being constantly updated. There’s no way you could keep all that data on your laptop!

A broadband (cable, WiFi, DSL) Internet connection is preferred; you can get along with dial-up access, but it makes IdeaBrowser searches in ThoughtOffice run kind of slowly. If you’re stuck someplace in Podunk or outer Mongolia using dial-up, start ThoughtOffice, click on Edit >> Preferences >> Internet Timeout, and change the Timeout Interval from 30 seconds to 90 or 120 seconds, to allow for the slower data rate of dial-up.

I’ve sent an e-mail to ThoughtOffice Support, but why have I not received an immediate reply?

We reply to every e-mail we receive, usually within 60-90 minutes, especially during business hours (Pacific Time Zone, USA). Sometimes our replies (or even worse, your messages) may be filtered as spam and may not make it to your inbox if our support e-mail address has not been added to your safelist. To avoid having our replies categorized as spam, please add the following address to your safelist / email address book:

I’ve downloaded and installed the demo, but why is it asking me for a registration number?

ThoughtOffice brainstorming software will operate as a fully-functional demo for up to 15 days on your computer. Here are some ways to resolve the issue:

1. Have you ever downloaded the demo before? It’s okay if you have, but it may be that an older demo was – or still is – in your system and has expired, triggering the registration window. Try uninstalling the demo version. Reboot your computer, and reinstall ThoughtOffice to the default folder.

I just downloaded the ThoughtOffice demo for Mac OS X but when I click on the “Ideas” button or the “Topics” button I get a message that says, “Your Trial Period is up. Please Register.” The “Registration Info” link under the Help menu shows that I have 30 days left of my trial period. What should I do?

There are some special considerations when installing ThoughtOffice on the Mac. The installer unpacks the program to the Desktop, but to work correctly, the ThoughtOffice program folder needs to be moved to the Mac Applications folder. Check out this link for instructions on Installing ThoughtOffice on Mac OS X.

It may even be necessary to uninstall and reinstall ThoughtOffice, making sure that the folders are set up per the instructions.

Another possible explanation is that you may have an earlier version of eXpertSystem or the ThoughtOffice demo installed on your Mac. Check for any earlier versions, and remove them to prevent interactions with the demo.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, then please contact us immediately, and we will move to the next step in the troubleshooting process.

I’ve purchased ThoughtOffice and have it downloaded. It’s working great, but when will I receive my registration number?

Registration numbers will typically be e-mailed to you within an hour or two of your purchase. (Sometimes, this can be delayed, but it will always be within 24 hours.) To ensure that you receive this important e-mail, please add the following e-mail address to your safelist, or check your trash / spam box to rescue the message.

Where can I find my registration information? I need to reinstall ThoughtOffice, and I don’t have the e-mail I was sent when I purchased the program.

You can find your registration information by opening ThoughtOffice, and clicking on Help >> Registration Info.

You’ll see a dialog box that looks sort of like this:

Be sure you keep your user e-mail and registration key in a safe place. If your computer gets a virus, and you have to reinstall Windows, or if your PC develops Sudden Hard Drive Death Syndrome, you’ll need both to reinstall ThoughtOffice.

If you ordered the CD when your purchased ThoughtOffice, your registration key will be located on the back of the CD case.